New-York tribune., 1887-04-24
MODERN ATHLETIC METHODS
A SYSTEM NOT EXACTLY SPARTAN.

bar, turns his arms in their sockets, goes belly
buster" tries to 60 half giant and tails backs the
pole hangs by his knees sits asride OF the bar and
turns the cart wheel, hangs down at arms length,
chns breasts the pole, throws both legs over, sits
erect and decaims in the presence OF some ten or
twelve sdmiring youths. go
sMy ancestors came from old Sparta he cries, with
majestic sweep of the arms that takes in centuries
I" and settled among the vine-cad rocks aud ctron
groves Of"
A whisk-broom catches him in the back, ms hands
miss tho pole and down he comes on hair mattress
Disgusted. he rises and stdding downstairs taxes
warm bath. That done, he arrays himself IN fine linen
and patent leather, feasts sumptuously In the
decorated dining room upon whatever dainties ana
substantial vands his stomach Graves visits the read
ingroom calls for his iavorite magazine and cigar,
and whiles away hour making fancy sketches In
the clouds OF blue smoke that hover around him. And
then be goes out into the archaeological night, and
undisturbed by the roll aud rattle OF the Elevated
trains smites himself across his damondstudded snrt
front and confesses in tender, halsuppressed tones
| Il am an athletop n
If the gentle Lycurgxs could have heard him then!
Alas, poor young Had he forgotten entirely the
most mastery stroke Of the great awgiver OF Sparta
the ordinance he made that the rich should not spend
their lives costly couches, and splcnded tables,
| delivering themselves up INTO the hands OF their
tradesmeh and cooks to faten them in corners Ike
greedy brutes and to ruin not their minds only but
| their bodies, which, enieebled by indulgence and
excess would stand in need OF long sleep, warm
bathing. freedom from work, and, in word, OF as
much care and attendance as il they were actually
| sick.
"0ld Lyke lived in the dark ages" tho youth says,
and didn't anticipate such civilization rs ours
| Besides, we have lawgyer who's Just 81 good. In
fact, rather like him better the whole, doncher
| knowi"
| Yes. there Is nothing Spartan about your modern
athletics. Go back to the days Of Lycurgus and sec
his methods. That discriminating genius who would
have mono but the best appointed triers In Lace
demonia before whom all infants were brought tor
examination Orders were given for the rearing "t
the we'll and sound the puny and ill-shaped were
consigned to the Apothete. Spartan mothers bathed
their newborn babes in wine instead OF water 10
prove the temper and complexion OF their bodies.
They had notion that the weaklings would talnt
under tho operation, while the strong and vigorous
wouId acquire frmness and get a temIer by 1t Ike
steel.
Lawgiyer solde, OF the New-York Athletic Club,
whose other title is Director Of Athletics, has nothing
to do with babies under seventeen years.
Lycurgus made ordinance that all his people
should meat and bread the rich and poor
sharing alike
Lawgiver Goldie is too smart for that He does not
concern himself deeply about hygiene and health
The one-law Tor all-mcn nonsense has played out
because these modern Lycurgnsos have discovered
that two born alike, reared alike eat alike
| drink alike alike, swim alike jump alike, or 90
anything eiso alike.
THE NEw-YoRK ATHLETIC CLUB.
Tho statement Is sde seriously that twenty years
ago there was not amateur athletic club IN these
United States To-day the woods are full OF them.
Some Of them have become 50 tar advanced in the
scale of civilization that they have gone into society
something Lycurgus would have permitted
Tho New-York Athletic Club was born nineteen years
ago in a little ott where Macys store now stands
The infant proved TO be veil aud sound, got along
without tho wine bath, aud grew to be lusty and
vigorous among II. nurses w. B. Curtis, II. h.
Buermeyer, w. 4. Van NYck, Charles III. Roosevelt.
Kiohard Mears and r. S Kinney As ths child grew
| .l,o 4 4 from Il
time was Mares g. mnaSium at another, WOODS
Gymnasluml and when IT became OF age they eit 70
take care of isef Their names appear no longer on
the muster roll. There were rough seas TO cross and
in passing them there came near being shipwreck
Other clubs had sprung up and the New Workers were
nearly s"amped by big wave OF debt Their mum, %
ber, dwindled until Ia lSSl'S2 less than 200
members remained in the org lnization 49,, -
Something had TO be done. A. II. Curtis did H. Ho
prop, sed the name of William X. IraYers Tor the
piesidenoy Mr.. rrayers was elected he consented to
take the oice he filed IT, and the clubs fortune was
made Certain obeotonabN elements were eliminated
and when it became known that Mr.. Irayers was at
the head Of the organization there break neck
race among rich young men 10 get in. Among the new
members was Hermann Oelrichs, nc that time an
enthusiast In all sorts of athletic sports lie brought
nth MIN strong following OF weli-known men whose
presenes gaye tho club higher social standing than
| Il had ever before possessed Dues were increased
and initiation tees raised member after member was
adoed, until the financial affairs were on sound
| footing Thtn new club project wss mooted
| in earnest II vas determined to issue sloO,0OO
worth of bonds At fifty cents on the dollar, anc Mr..
| Trayers heading tho list with S2C 600, followed by
Hermann Orlrehs with $4,000, II was thoughs that
the sum could be easily raised Aiterward the rate of
subscriptions was incteased and tho bonds were
offered and soon taken at soyentyhve cents OH tho
dollar. They boro eight per cent iuterest
Tho clubhouse built at Fifty hithst and sixth
ave. and q spacious, luxurious homo 1t H. The
exterior style is iul treatment of Italian RenaIs-
sanoe, Inrssve and simple In character. Coabaugh
brick were used in the construction, with tera-cota
trimmings the entrance porch being oi red granite
The building is four stores IN height In the base
| mont there are six bowling alleys and shooting
gallery The principal features OF the hrst floor are
large swimming BATH siIty ys.x by twenty feet. and
Turco- Russian bath The rect oil the moor gwen up
| 10 v.hces and committee rooms. The second story
contains the reception room, biiliard-rooms and
| restaurant, besides parlors aud reading rooms On
which are decorated With doLeps OF pairs OF gloves
| while sand bags hang IRON the ceiling Fencing Is
practised tmes in tlese sparrng rooms Adjoining
them dressing rooms filled with row alter row oi
| lockers.
for here is the finely appointed gymnasium Its
| apparatus which includes AL the improved modern
Appliances cost many thousands of dollars. Tho room
Is twenty-five ieet in height with sx-o1t balcony
running clear around it midway between ceiling aud
Aoor This balcony the toor OF which Is covered
with rubber, is used 81 a race track door with
ldcd plate on it opens of the balcony 10 the sYutn-
the words on the plate. The little room on the other
side OF il is sacred and Lawgiver Golde reigns
supreme over the little gynna'tlc world
DIRECTOR ooLDIE AND HIS WORK.
Though once scotchmau, Director Goldie has been
American for thrtysiH years he says no Is iorty
pie but his looks belle him. for they testify that he Is
not ,yer thirty-Hve II the gentle Lycurgus could
see him he would embrace / i'm with JOY notwihstand-
ing tho slight diaereuce in their methods. For six
years Director Godie tho champion all-round
athlete Of tho old Caledonian Club. lie hlled tho
hair OF rnnso ular development at Princeton Tor
sixteen wears and the boys there piled him with
so many about this that and the other that
ho was forced TO study physiology In order not to a-
pear ignorant before his pupils IL MADE MN one OF ,ne
pest OF the physologists In the United
States and he came 70 his post at the New York
any man In tho world a.,
GMy rule" be says, as to take the material that
| comes to my hands and improve 1t In the natural